Planning commission approves zoning amendment for automotive sales use standard

The Augusta Planning Commission approved a proposed amendment to Section 10 of the city's adopted zoning regulations to add a specific use standard for automotive and equipment sales, rental and manufactured home dealers. The commission voted in favor of the staff-drafted changes at its meeting; the item will go to the City Council for final consideration on April 21.

The amendment creates a tailored standard for car lots within C-3 zoned areas and adds requirements for parking, lot coverage, setbacks and compatibility buffers. Staff said the proposal was prompted in part by a specific 23,000-square-foot lot under consideration for a car-sales use. That site contains a 2,400-square-foot primary building and a 1,200-square-foot accessory storage building, leaving roughly 19,758 square feet for sales display and…